Local SEO: What Is It + How To Do It?
First things first, If you haven’t checked out our blog post on SEO For Home Service Businesses I recommend you start there.
It’s best to first apply those tips and then come back to read this post. It’s worth it, trust me.
What Is Local SEO?
Local SEO is the process of optimising your business’s visibility in location-based search results.
It’s a strategy that helps Google understand where your business is, what you do, and how trustworthy you are.
It’s also different from regular SEO because Google uses different factors and metrics to rank businesses here.
Here’s an example to help you understand what Local SEO is and why it’s important:
When I Google ‘Electrician near me’, here’s what I see on the search results page:
When you optimise your website for regular SEO, your website shows up in the ‘Organic Results’.
But when you optimise for Local SEO, your Google Business Profile (GBP) shows up in the ‘Local Pack’.
That’s very important for you as a home services business.
Most people search for services in their area with keywords such as “{service} in City/Area” or “{service} near me”.
If you’ve optimised your website for Local SEO, people in your area can easily find you when they need your services.
That will help you get more traffic, attract more customers, and improve the overall SEO of your website.
Now that you know what Local SEO is and why it’s important, let’s get into how you can optimise your business for it…
1. Create And Optimise Your Google Business Profile (GBP)
This is an essential step for Local SEO because you need a Google Business Profile to stand any chance of ranking on the Local Pack. It is a free local listing with information about your business.
Here are 3 important tips on how you can optimise your GBP:
Create your profile or make sure to claim it (if you haven’t already)
Provide as many details as you can including your services, contact information, address, your service area, opening hours, photos and videos, etc.
Ask customers for reviews. Good ratings and more reviews can help you stand out to potential customers while also improving your rankings.
2. List Your Business In Local Listings And Directories
Add your business to local listings and directories such as Houzz, Checkatrade, Bark, Yell, etc.
This increases your chance of being found by potential customers while also building more trust with search engines by getting more NAP citations.
3. NAP Citations
NAP citations are online mentions of your business's name, address, and phone number (NAP) in business listings, directories, and social media profiles.
NAP citations are important because Google uses them to verify your business information’s accuracy and trustworthiness.
So make sure your NAP information is accurate and consistent on all of your listings and social media profiles.
That’s it. These are 3 basic tips you can apply today to optimise your business for local SEO.
If you want us to take a look at your business and see how we can help you attract more customers, feel free to click here and get in touch with us.
Talk soon,
Leo Dousti
